The biggest-ever anti-Maoist operation launched by the Centre has started to show results. Security experts indicated that violence in naxal-infested states had come down in the past two months.
The biggest-ever anti-Maoist operation launched by the Centre has started to show results. Security experts indicated that violence in naxal-infested states had come down in the past two months.
Senior officers in the paramilitary forces said violence levels had gone down primarily because of the increased deployment of personnel in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. Starting April 2009, at least 65 people, including naxals, security personnel and civilians, were killed every month in Maoist violence. In October, over 100 were killed.
There is significant improvement in the situation. From October to January 26, only 57 casualties were registered. In January, there was just one death due to naxal violence in Maharashtra, whereas there were 87 deaths in left-wing extremism in January 2009.
According to information trickling from security establishments, since November, the forces have managed to arrest 43 Maoists, many of them key leaders. Among those arrested are two Dandakaranya special zonal committee members.
Eight district commanders and four dalam (platoon) commanders from Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra have also been arrested.
“The situation in Gadchiroli is much better now. Of the 18 people arrested in the district, eight are zonal and district commanders who were involved in training cadre and planning attacks. They are definitely on the backfoot,” said a senior official who is part of the anti-Maoist operations.
An officer said there were over 45,000 securitymen in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra, while the figure in Jharkhand stood at 35,000 (350 companies).
The situation in Bastar, Kanker and Dantewada districts has also improved as security forces have arrested platoon commanders who were leading groups of 30-40 men and women planning attacks on security forces.
“We want to first dominate these areas and then operate on the basis of specific information,” added the officer. Forces killed 68 Maoists, arrested 1,858, uncovered 234 landmines and bombs, 1,778 kg of explosives, over 33,000 rounds of ammunition and over 300 weapons from the naxals in 2009, he said.
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